The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources and Community Development held a consultative meeting this week with the former employees of Air Namibia.

The meeting was in response to the two petitions submitted by the disgruntled employees of the now-liquidated airline to the National Assembly.

The former employees appealed to the committee to summon stakeholders to explain the delays in the payment of their severance packages.

The former workers of Air Namibia expressed their frustration regarding the lengthy delay in receiving their severance packages.

"We didn't know what was going on. We lost our colleagues because of stress. People have debts, and people have children that go to school. We never expected to lose our jobs like this. We were just told that there is no more work for us; we need our money so that we can take care of ourselves," said Susan Mpinge.

The former workers of Air Namibia are continuing their fight to receive their severance packages.

A group of 638 demonstrators is reiterating their dependency on this remaining severance money as their primary source of support.

In December 2022, the former workers received a partial payment of their severance packages, but this amount was deducted without their consent.

Renier Bougard, the chairperson of the workers union, emphasised the urgency of addressing the situation while handing over a petition to the Ministry of Justice.

President Hage Geingob says Cabinet will be discussing the matter of the possible revival of Air Namibia.

This follows a proposal by Ethiopian Airlines to assist the government should it consider bringing back Air Namibia to the skies.

The Board and Management of Ethiopian Airlines, led by Chairman Girma Wake, held a meeting with President Geingob and ministers on the margins of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa.

The National Assembly Speaker, Professor Peter Katjavivi has tabled a petition received from the Committee representing former Air Namibia employees detailing their demands including their request to meet the Head of State.

Ex-Air Namibia employees staged a protest Monday morning, expressing anger with the independent liquidators, David Bruni and Ian McLaren, for having cut their severance packages.

Bruni & McLaren, appointed as consultants, found that the original calculations on which the liquidators and the employees had agreed were wrong.

After the closure of the national airline some 20 months ago, it was agreed that its 640 employees would be paid severance packages at a cost to company, based on the number of years of service at the airline.